Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad: The ‘Ghostbusters’ Connection

Michael Jackson‘s “Bad” and Ghostbusters are two quintessential elements of 1980s popular culture. With that in mind, it only makes sense that “Bad” has a connection to Ray Parker Jr.’s theme song for the first Ghostbusters movie. Notably, a famous musician discussed his experience working with the King of Pop on the album Bad.

The similarity between Ray Parker Jr.’s ‘Ghostbusters’ and Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’

Jackson made history when five of the singles from his album Bad topped the Billboard Hot 100. Those songs were “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Dirty Diana,” “Man in the Mirror,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and the album’s title track. The latter might be the most famous song from the album today, partially due to its epic music video. 

Part of why “Bad” is so appealing is its funky groove. If you listen to it, it has a striking similarity to the groove from Parker’s song “Ghostbusters.” The two tracks aren’t identical, as they have completely distinct vocal melodies and Parker’s song draws more from new wave music. However, it’s plausible that Jackson drew inspiration from “Ghostbusters.” “Ghostbusters” came out in 1984 and it was a massive hit. “Bad” came out in 1987.

Is ‘Ghostbusters’ better than ‘Bad?’

The real question isn’t “Which song came first?” It’s “Which song is better?” “Ghostbusters” is one of the best commercial jingles ever written, and it’s done a great job selling the Ghostbusters franchise for over 40 years. In addition, it remains a Halloween favorite. However, it works for a limited number of occasions.

On the other hand, “Bad” is a great song to listen to whenever you want to feel cool. Few songs in the entire pop canon are as cool as “Bad.” It has the right amount of cockiness and the right amount of menace. Overall, it’s the superior track.

Quincy Jones discussed some of the artists who inspired Michael Jackson

Quincy Jones served as the producer on “Bad” and the album of the same name. During a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone, Jones discussed what it was like to produce that record. “I loved it every time we went in the studio, and that was a lot,” he said. “We used to stay up five days and nights with no sleep when we were on a roll. They were carrying second engineers out on stretchers. I was smoking 180 cigarettes a day. I don’t smoke anymore.”

Jones named several artists who inspired Jackson but Parker was not one of them. “The combination of the two of us was perfect,” he said. “I cannot dance — I used to when I was little — but I’m not a dancer and a singer and all that stuff. That’s what Michael is a genius of. He’s attentive; he gets all the details. He looks at Sammy Davis, James Brown, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly; he didn’t miss nothing. That’s what the real pros are supposed to do. Pay attention and see all the elements. It’s an attitude they have — I want to know how everything works. Curiosity. Sinatra had it too.”

Whether or not “Ghostbusters” was a conscious influence on “Bad,” the similarity between the two songs is undeniable.